1. Field
This specification relates to an apparatus capable of sensing dew formation on a refrigerator and removing the dew, and a control method thereof.
2. Background
A refrigerator is an apparatus for storing food items therein in a cold or frozen state. Such a refrigerator is provided with a refrigerator body having therein a storage chamber, and a refrigeration cycle apparatus for cooling. Generally, a mechanical chamber is formed at a rear side of the refrigerator body, and a compressor and a condenser included in the refrigeration cycle apparatus are installed at the mechanical chamber.
The refrigerator may be classified according to an arrangement state of a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber. A top mount type refrigerator has a structure where a freezing chamber is disposed above a refrigerating chamber, and a bottom freezer type refrigerator has a structure where a refrigerating chamber is provided at an upper side and a freezing chamber is provided at a lower side. And a side by side type refrigerator has a structure where a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber are disposed right and left.
Since a temperature of the inside of the refrigerator is lower than a peripheral temperature of the refrigerator, dew may form at a circumference of a front surface of the body of the refrigerator, due to the temperature difference. Each of the top mount type refrigerator and the bottom freezer type refrigerator is provided with a pillar. Dew may also form on a front surface of the pillar, due to the temperature difference between the inside of the refrigerator and the periphery of the refrigerator. The pillar serves to block a gap between doors when refrigerating chamber doors or freezing chamber doors are closed, thereby preventing leakage of cold air. In a case where two refrigerating chamber doors are disposed to be rotated in different directions in order to open and close a refrigerating chamber, the pillar blocks a gap between the two refrigerating chamber doors to prevent leakage of cold air. That is, there is a problem that vapor in the air is condensed to cause dew formation on the front surface of the body of the refrigerator and the pillar.
In the conventional art, in order to sense such dew formation and remove the formed dew, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor are installed near the doors, rather than at the region where dew formation occurs. The sensors are configured to indirectly determine whether dew formation has occurred or not, and to operate a heater to remove the formed dew. Alternatively, the sensors are configured to sense a change in resistance due to dew formed on the pillar, and thus to measure dew formation and dew amount.
However, in this case where the heater is controlled by determining dew formation based on temperature and humidity measured near the doors, rather than sensing dew directly in a region of the refrigerator where dew formation occurs, it is difficult to precisely measure dew formation. This may result in unnecessary operation of the heater. Further, in case of measuring resistance due to dew formation, the resistance may be measured erroneously due to foreign materials.
In order to precisely determine dew formation on a refrigerator, required is a method capable of preventing unnecessary power consumption by sensing dew formation only when dew is formed on a dew formation region and then by driving a heater, not by indirectly determining whether dew formation has occurred or not based on measured temperature or humidity. Further, required is an apparatus for sensing dew formation and removing the formed dew, by making the sensing unit not to be exposed to the outside, by sensing dew inside the front surface of the refrigerator body or inside the pillar. For example, the sensing unit may be provided such that it is not exposed to the outside, thereby preventing foreign materials from contacting a sensing unit.